Report Card: Grading Michigan in a 49-0 pounding of MSU
Grading Michigan football in all facets of a 49-0 blowout of Michigan State in East Lansing. The Wolverines’ defense was dominant, both up front and on the back end, against an overmatched opponent. The grades:
RELATED: Game Balls from Michigan’s 49-0 blowout of MSU
Michigan rushing offense: C-
Make no mistake — this is junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s offense now. The offensive line and the backs just aren’t jelling the way they did the last two years, so the Wolverines have gone to the passing game first — and that’s the way it was again Saturday night. Michigan senior Blake Corum ran for only 59 yards (but did have another touchdown) on 15 carries, and once again junior Donovan Edwards was held in check. He carried 6 times for 14 yards.
The Wolverines are clearly a national title contender, but if they want to win it all, this needs to improve. They ran for 120 yards and didn’t get much push against the Spartans’ big line.
Passing offense: A+
McCarthy was next level again — we seem to say that every week — in completing 21 of 27 passes for 287 yards with 4 touchdowns. He was at his best on third down-and-long, an area in which Michigan State had been good this year. But third-and-long might be better than third-and-short against this MSU defense — the Spartans are abysmal in the secondary. And the tight ends ate them up with 178 yards, including 99 for AJ Barner. It was a fantastic game plan by a staff that knows how to exploit mismatches.
Michigan rushing defense: A+
Michigan State running back Nate Carter managed only 36 yards on 17 carries and the Spartans 57 as a team in being totally shut down. MSU managed only 9 — 9! — rushing yards in the first half, 4 in the first quarter and 5 in the second. The Spartans picked up 34 of their yards on 3 plays, including 10 by the third-string quarterback in the fourth quarter. This was an annihilation up front.
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Passing defense: A+
Michigan State quarterback Katin Houser didn’t have anywhere to go with the ball much of the time due to great coverage — other times the Wolverines were getting to him with four men and the occasional blitz. They finished with only 2 sacks and 1 official quarterback hurry, but defensive linemen batted down 2 passes, too, and they kept him in the pocket.
The secondary, meanwhile, blanketed the MSU receivers. Grad Mike Sainristil’s pick-six ended any possible momentum early in the third quarter, and most of the corners had at least 1 breakup. Ja’Den McBurrows’ late pick was apropos and a great way to end it.
Michigan special teams: A-
Not much on punt return — 2 for 3 yards for sophomore Tyler Morris — but junior Tommy Doman averaged 46.8 yards on his 4 punts and James Turner made all of his extra points. Coverage was outstanding, as usual, though there was one 14-yard punt return against.
